Too busy to write; we're heading to the Galapagos Islands to make sure the Phillie Phanatic's mom makes it to Philly for Mother's Day.
Apr 30, 2008
Apr 29, 2008
Happy anniversary
The other day in the mall, Christine spotted a family - the father had a Chase Utley shirt on while his boys wore Red Sox hats. "They're just as screwed up as our family," she said.
"Nah," I replied. "They're just products of '04."
I smiled, thinking these two young boys were like the legions who became Bulls fans in the 1980s. My seminal Red Sox moment occurred 22 years ago today. Here's the story.
Although he's turned out to be the biggest ass in baseball, I can never forget that without Roger Clemens striking out 20 on my ninth birthday, I would be rooting for some other team like the Blue Jays, and then Christine and I would really have problems.
I know, I have to finish this series and induct the roider into my Hall of Fame of antiquated Red Sox garb, but it's hard to find the time and right mix of emotion.
"Nah," I replied. "They're just products of '04."
I smiled, thinking these two young boys were like the legions who became Bulls fans in the 1980s. My seminal Red Sox moment occurred 22 years ago today. Here's the story.
Although he's turned out to be the biggest ass in baseball, I can never forget that without Roger Clemens striking out 20 on my ninth birthday, I would be rooting for some other team like the Blue Jays, and then Christine and I would really have problems.
I know, I have to finish this series and induct the roider into my Hall of Fame of antiquated Red Sox garb, but it's hard to find the time and right mix of emotion.
Apr 28, 2008
Apr 27, 2008
Where's the O?
Today Josh Beckett struck out 13 in seven innings. He gave up two runs, but the Red Sox got shut down by James Shields and the Tampa Bay Rays. OK, baseball gods, you've proven that the Red Sox are not unstoppable - now give me back my offense.
Christine feels OK about her squad despite today's loss against the Pirates. The Phillies finished their road trip 5-2 and hopefully have turned a corner.
At least we did our part for charity today.
Administrative notes: Sorry for the brevity on the blog last week. It may be worse this week, but then we'll be back to normal. Hopefully the Sox are also back to normal by then.
Christine feels OK about her squad despite today's loss against the Pirates. The Phillies finished their road trip 5-2 and hopefully have turned a corner.
At least we did our part for charity today.
Administrative notes: Sorry for the brevity on the blog last week. It may be worse this week, but then we'll be back to normal. Hopefully the Sox are also back to normal by then.
Apr 26, 2008
Young Clay is growing up
We flipped the Red Sox game on the radio in between running some errands. The announcer noted in the third inning the Tampa Bay Rays were still looking for their first hit against the young right-hander.
I asked aloud if Clay Buchholz could do it again. He didn't, but I'll take eight innings, three hits and nine strikeouts. Too bad he gave up a two-run homer in the 8th for a complete game loss. And too bad the stinkin' offense couldn't score some runs for him, like the Phillies did for young Kyle Kendrick against the Pirates. Hey, Ryan Howard even chipped in with a home run.
I asked aloud if Clay Buchholz could do it again. He didn't, but I'll take eight innings, three hits and nine strikeouts. Too bad he gave up a two-run homer in the 8th for a complete game loss. And too bad the stinkin' offense couldn't score some runs for him, like the Phillies did for young Kyle Kendrick against the Pirates. Hey, Ryan Howard even chipped in with a home run.
Apr 25, 2008
Bumped, but not beaten
I wish continued luck in the playoffs to the Flyers and Sixers, who beat the Pistons again tonight, 95-75. But I won't be too upset when their seasons end. Once again, the Phillies were bumped to CN8, so I was stuck with just the radio broadcast.
The game started out great, and the Phils were ahead 5-0 when I went outside to help Greg finish off the shed. So I definitely was not expecting a 6-5 game when I checked on the score a while later. Then again, it wasn't completely shocking, considering that Adam Eaton was pitching. Todd Zolecki's description reminds us of Eaton's start on Sunday, when he also pitched well early in the game and then gave up multiple extra-base hits in one inning.
Luckily, the best bullpen in the National League pitched excellent for the rest of the game, and the Phils won the first game of the weekend series.
Not as much luck with the Red Sox bullpen tonight. Mike Timlin blew it for the Red Sox in the 11th, losing to the Rays, 5-4.
The game started out great, and the Phils were ahead 5-0 when I went outside to help Greg finish off the shed. So I definitely was not expecting a 6-5 game when I checked on the score a while later. Then again, it wasn't completely shocking, considering that Adam Eaton was pitching. Todd Zolecki's description reminds us of Eaton's start on Sunday, when he also pitched well early in the game and then gave up multiple extra-base hits in one inning.
Luckily, the best bullpen in the National League pitched excellent for the rest of the game, and the Phils won the first game of the weekend series.
Not as much luck with the Red Sox bullpen tonight. Mike Timlin blew it for the Red Sox in the 11th, losing to the Rays, 5-4.
Apr 24, 2008
Too tired to care right now
Remember that shed we bought at the end of March? We came home from a funeral this afternoon and decided today was the day to tackle it. We figured it would take only a few hours. We were wrong, and we didn't hit a breaking point until 10:20 tonight.
We had the Phillies on the radio this afternoon as we worked, so we heard about another clutch hit from Pat Burrell and another dominating outing by the bullpen against the Brewers. The Red Sox used to have a dominating bullpen. I, along with the debuting Justin Masterson, wonder what happened to it.
OK, the Angels got some revenge for last year's ALDS, and I've been humbled. Now it's time to get back to dominating.
We had the Phillies on the radio this afternoon as we worked, so we heard about another clutch hit from Pat Burrell and another dominating outing by the bullpen against the Brewers. The Red Sox used to have a dominating bullpen. I, along with the debuting Justin Masterson, wonder what happened to it.
OK, the Angels got some revenge for last year's ALDS, and I've been humbled. Now it's time to get back to dominating.
Apr 23, 2008
My team is sick
I'm not talking about racking up wins at a sickening pace (even though they are). Or that they had a rare loss tonight (which they did). No, they're practically puking on their cleats.
Captain Jason Varitek has missed several games with the flu (we've been playing with one catcher and Dustin Pedroia's the emergency backup). And tonight Daisuke Matsuzaka was too sick to pitch. Also hit with the flu bug were Manny Delcarmen and Bartolo Colon, who's not even on the team.
I can't remember a team getting sick like this. But they've still played well so they are going to be unbeatable once their sniffles go away.
The 9th inning of the Phillies game made Christine sick tonight. No excuse for stranding the potential tying run at third with only one out.
Holy Diver: After Pat Burrell homered to give the Phillies a 4-3 lead, his old intro music (Dio's Holy Diver) came on the TV radio station. We thought it was a good sign; it obviously wasn't.
Captain Jason Varitek has missed several games with the flu (we've been playing with one catcher and Dustin Pedroia's the emergency backup). And tonight Daisuke Matsuzaka was too sick to pitch. Also hit with the flu bug were Manny Delcarmen and Bartolo Colon, who's not even on the team.
I can't remember a team getting sick like this. But they've still played well so they are going to be unbeatable once their sniffles go away.
The 9th inning of the Phillies game made Christine sick tonight. No excuse for stranding the potential tying run at third with only one out.
Holy Diver: After Pat Burrell homered to give the Phillies a 4-3 lead, his old intro music (Dio's Holy Diver) came on the TV radio station. We thought it was a good sign; it obviously wasn't.
Apr 22, 2008
He already was jinxed!
Josh Beckett was a late scratch with a stiff neck. What? Not fair, the 2007 MVP jinx already nailed him. It should go back to work on Alex Rodriguez.
On the commute home, I heard replacement David Pauley retired the side in order. Then, a lead-off homer for Jacoby Ellsbury had me thinking it would be a special night. Alas, when I logged on I was surprised to see the Sox up 7-6 in the 9th. Of course they won again - that's six in a row, and nine of 10. I'm getting dangerously close to the mindset that they're unstoppable. I'm due for a humbling.
The Phillies have also won three in a row, so hopefully they've turned a corner. Good comeback win tonight. We loved the comical scoring in the 9th inning of Chase Utley and Ryan Howard immediately after. It looked like the scene in Major League, but in the movie it was the fast guy right behind the slow guy. How was it the other way around tonight? Pat Burrell continues his contract drive with three RBIs. He now has 21 in April - 22 on the season - and is one away from tying Von Hayes' franchise record of 22 April RBIs. And the Phils finally made it over the .500 mark.
On the commute home, I heard replacement David Pauley retired the side in order. Then, a lead-off homer for Jacoby Ellsbury had me thinking it would be a special night. Alas, when I logged on I was surprised to see the Sox up 7-6 in the 9th. Of course they won again - that's six in a row, and nine of 10. I'm getting dangerously close to the mindset that they're unstoppable. I'm due for a humbling.
The Phillies have also won three in a row, so hopefully they've turned a corner. Good comeback win tonight. We loved the comical scoring in the 9th inning of Chase Utley and Ryan Howard immediately after. It looked like the scene in Major League, but in the movie it was the fast guy right behind the slow guy. How was it the other way around tonight? Pat Burrell continues his contract drive with three RBIs. He now has 21 in April - 22 on the season - and is one away from tying Von Hayes' franchise record of 22 April RBIs. And the Phils finally made it over the .500 mark.
Apr 21, 2008
What a day
From South Jersey to North Jersey for a noon Communion, to Philadelphia for the finale of the Mets-Phillies series, and back home for a few hours sleep before work. We had a long Sunday. Here are the details:
5:24 a.m. - I wake. I want to get up and go for a walk, but I had promised Christine I wouldn't. I roll over and accidentally kick her. It's not going to be a good day.
5:57 - I wake up again, relieved because I didn't think I'd fall back asleep. My mind doesn't properly compute the time and I think it's 7, not 6. Back to bed for another hour.
6:57 - I finally wake up for real. Do my morning sit-ups. Christine wakes up. We have bagels, pack up in case we don't have time to come home and change, and are out the door at 10:04.
11:37 - We arrive at the church; mass starts at noon.
12:15 p.m. - Christine remembers why we worship at the church of baseball. Services drag more than a Red Sox-Yankees game.
12:29 - During the part of mass where we're supposed to pray for specific dead or sick people, I pray for Adam Eaton. Immediately, I realize I should have prayed for Jimmy Rollins.
1:13 - Church ends. Picture-taking ends at 1:35, and we arrive at the restaurant 15 minutes later after getting some bad directions.
4:00 - We leave the party so we can stop at home to get changed before the game.
4:47 - While listening to the Yankees game, the announcers mention Alex Rodriguez's injury - another victim of the 2007 MVP jinx. And we don't even know yet that J-Roll was DL'd.
5:57 - We get home, change and are out the door at 6:18. Three minutes later, Christine says we're going to switch our ballpark seats because of last week's beer incident. We park at 6:44.
7:01 - Inside the stadium, a squirrel runs in front of us and under a sausage stand. We've never seen a squirrel in Citizens Bank Park before. Three minutes later, while buying a scorecard, I notice they sell Red Sox yearbooks. I buy one to match the 2005 championship edition.
7:58 - Mets fans boo a Richie Ashburn tribute; I don't think even Yankee fans are that classless. Minutes later, they refrain from booing during a moment of silence for John Marzano.
8:15 - Drunk guy from last week feigns an apology; turns out he dropped something again (his ticket) and needs me to get it from under my seat.
8:26 - Chase Utley homers, giving hope that we may actually see a win.
8:46 - Big cheer when they display the score from the 76ers surprise comeback win against the Pistons. (I don't understand why they don't post running scores in the park when baseball games coincide with playoff hockey and basketball.)
8:50 - Mets fans do the Jose soccer chant for Jose Reyes; Phillies fans tauntingly sing it back after he flies out.
9:25 - Kyle Kendrick appears on the big board wishing a happy birthday to all.
9:45 - Utley homers again, giving the Phillies a 4-0 lead, which seems like it may be enough.
9:53 - Mets fans do the Jose chant again; Phils fans can only boo in response after he triples.
9:55 - A cute little kid who spent the game looking through a pack of baseball cards taps me on the shoulder. "Are you a Mets fan?" he asks. "No," I reply to his satisfaction.
10:00 - The prayer didn't work. Eaton is removed without retiring a batter in the sixth. Game is tied by inning's end.
10:13 - We don't know J-Roll or Chris Snelling was DL'd before the game. We add to the chorus of "Who?" when T.J. Bohn is announced as a pinch hitter.
10:37 - Pedro Feliz hits a pinch-hit homer, seconds after Christine cringes that he's in the game. She apologizes.
10:47 - Charlie Manuel does his usual move of pinch-running So Taguchi for Pat Burrell in the 7th inning. Only problem, he waits a whole at-bat before making the move. It's like he's teasing us that he may actually leave Burrell in.
10:59 - So Taguchi misplays a single into a double for Raul Casanova. And Burrell would have botched it worse, how?
11:23 - After a little scare, Brad Lidge ends the game with a great (lucky) play by Eric Bruntlett. The ump hesitates, almost teasing the crowd before calling Carlos Beltran out. Guy in my row starts yelling at me that Bruntlett's the MVP. The play is the Web gem of the night, we later learn.
12:57 - In bed and lights out.
Random notes from the stands: Eaton led off the bottom of the 3rd with a walk. Werth grounded into a fielder's choice that could have been a double play if not for Eaton's hard slide into second. It didn't lead to any runs, but it was good, hard base running by a pitcher. ... Ryan Howard actually made some nice plays in the field. ... A kid in front of us had a sign - the back said "Mets suck," but we never got to see the front. He also wore a mask and gloves to look like a skeleton. He kept putting them on and off all night. We called him Skeletor. ... It was painfully cold and windy again.
Day's stats:
-235 miles driven
-5 hours in the car
-1.5 hours in church
-4 hours in the ballpark
-2 wins, 1 each from Red Sox and Phillies
-2 tired SoxandPhils contributors
5:24 a.m. - I wake. I want to get up and go for a walk, but I had promised Christine I wouldn't. I roll over and accidentally kick her. It's not going to be a good day.
5:57 - I wake up again, relieved because I didn't think I'd fall back asleep. My mind doesn't properly compute the time and I think it's 7, not 6. Back to bed for another hour.
6:57 - I finally wake up for real. Do my morning sit-ups. Christine wakes up. We have bagels, pack up in case we don't have time to come home and change, and are out the door at 10:04.
11:37 - We arrive at the church; mass starts at noon.
12:15 p.m. - Christine remembers why we worship at the church of baseball. Services drag more than a Red Sox-Yankees game.
12:29 - During the part of mass where we're supposed to pray for specific dead or sick people, I pray for Adam Eaton. Immediately, I realize I should have prayed for Jimmy Rollins.
1:13 - Church ends. Picture-taking ends at 1:35, and we arrive at the restaurant 15 minutes later after getting some bad directions.
4:00 - We leave the party so we can stop at home to get changed before the game.
4:47 - While listening to the Yankees game, the announcers mention Alex Rodriguez's injury - another victim of the 2007 MVP jinx. And we don't even know yet that J-Roll was DL'd.
5:57 - We get home, change and are out the door at 6:18. Three minutes later, Christine says we're going to switch our ballpark seats because of last week's beer incident. We park at 6:44.
7:01 - Inside the stadium, a squirrel runs in front of us and under a sausage stand. We've never seen a squirrel in Citizens Bank Park before. Three minutes later, while buying a scorecard, I notice they sell Red Sox yearbooks. I buy one to match the 2005 championship edition.
7:58 - Mets fans boo a Richie Ashburn tribute; I don't think even Yankee fans are that classless. Minutes later, they refrain from booing during a moment of silence for John Marzano.
8:15 - Drunk guy from last week feigns an apology; turns out he dropped something again (his ticket) and needs me to get it from under my seat.
8:26 - Chase Utley homers, giving hope that we may actually see a win.
8:46 - Big cheer when they display the score from the 76ers surprise comeback win against the Pistons. (I don't understand why they don't post running scores in the park when baseball games coincide with playoff hockey and basketball.)
8:50 - Mets fans do the Jose soccer chant for Jose Reyes; Phillies fans tauntingly sing it back after he flies out.
9:25 - Kyle Kendrick appears on the big board wishing a happy birthday to all.
9:45 - Utley homers again, giving the Phillies a 4-0 lead, which seems like it may be enough.
9:53 - Mets fans do the Jose chant again; Phils fans can only boo in response after he triples.
9:55 - A cute little kid who spent the game looking through a pack of baseball cards taps me on the shoulder. "Are you a Mets fan?" he asks. "No," I reply to his satisfaction.
10:00 - The prayer didn't work. Eaton is removed without retiring a batter in the sixth. Game is tied by inning's end.
10:13 - We don't know J-Roll or Chris Snelling was DL'd before the game. We add to the chorus of "Who?" when T.J. Bohn is announced as a pinch hitter.
10:37 - Pedro Feliz hits a pinch-hit homer, seconds after Christine cringes that he's in the game. She apologizes.
10:47 - Charlie Manuel does his usual move of pinch-running So Taguchi for Pat Burrell in the 7th inning. Only problem, he waits a whole at-bat before making the move. It's like he's teasing us that he may actually leave Burrell in.
10:59 - So Taguchi misplays a single into a double for Raul Casanova. And Burrell would have botched it worse, how?
11:23 - After a little scare, Brad Lidge ends the game with a great (lucky) play by Eric Bruntlett. The ump hesitates, almost teasing the crowd before calling Carlos Beltran out. Guy in my row starts yelling at me that Bruntlett's the MVP. The play is the Web gem of the night, we later learn.
12:57 - In bed and lights out.
Random notes from the stands: Eaton led off the bottom of the 3rd with a walk. Werth grounded into a fielder's choice that could have been a double play if not for Eaton's hard slide into second. It didn't lead to any runs, but it was good, hard base running by a pitcher. ... Ryan Howard actually made some nice plays in the field. ... A kid in front of us had a sign - the back said "Mets suck," but we never got to see the front. He also wore a mask and gloves to look like a skeleton. He kept putting them on and off all night. We called him Skeletor. ... It was painfully cold and windy again.
Day's stats:
-235 miles driven
-5 hours in the car
-1.5 hours in church
-4 hours in the ballpark
-2 wins, 1 each from Red Sox and Phillies
-2 tired SoxandPhils contributors
In a nutshell...
My niece received Jesus; Phillies fans received a dramatic, much-needed win over the Mets. (Red Sox won again.)
Much more detail to come tonight.
Much more detail to come tonight.
Apr 20, 2008
Farewell Johnny Marz
John Marzano, an honorary SoxandPhil, died this weekend.I'll always remember him from his 1985 Topps Olympic Team card. I wanted to scan it in, but that is still tucked away in my parents' attic. He played 169 games for the Red Sox from 1987 to 1992, never getting a real chance to live up to his potential.
He gets honorary SoxandPhil status because he was a Philadelphia native, played a year in the minors for the Phils, and worked in recent years for WIP and Phillies post-games for Comcast. Christine and I enjoyed listening to his analysis - a compliment we rarely give to a broadcaster. I was hoping his gig with Major League Baseball would be short-lived and he would come back to local outlets.
Unfortunately, that won't happen.
Game notes: The Phillies officially stink against the Mets. It's up to Adam Eaton to avoid the sweep tonight. Since it's a night game, we won't provide wrap-up until Monday night. The Red Sox continue to roll against the Rangers. David Ortiz had another hit.
Hang 'em high: Evil Yankee Kyle Farnsworth got only three games for endangering the life of Manny Ramirez. No bother:
"He don't deserve that. He was just protecting his players," Ramirez said. "You know we hit A-Rod the game before."
Though Ramirez responded by getting out of the way he admitted, "To be honest with you, I never saw the pitch."
Apr 19, 2008
Time to turn things around
Last night's loss against the Mets was just ugly. Cole Hamels walked three batters, and each one scored. Jayson Werth made a dopey dive in the outfield trying to catch a ball, and it went right by him. Chase Utley got stuck on the grass and couldn't move his feet to make a play. Ryan Howard added an error, bringing the team's total up to 17 for the season, second only to the Pirates.
The Phils need to play better than this. Yeah, yeah, it's early, but they have not had a winning April since 2003. Their notorious slow starts hurt them every year. I hope they can turn things around in the 11 games left in the month. A win this afternoon would be a nice start. And another one tomorrow, when we get to watch a night game in the cold. Fingers crossed that the rain holds off until Monday.
The Phils need to play better than this. Yeah, yeah, it's early, but they have not had a winning April since 2003. Their notorious slow starts hurt them every year. I hope they can turn things around in the 11 games left in the month. A win this afternoon would be a nice start. And another one tomorrow, when we get to watch a night game in the cold. Fingers crossed that the rain holds off until Monday.
Apr 18, 2008
Since you're not hitting, read this
Dear Phillies Offense,
Last year, I could always depend on you. This year, where have you been? Didn't you like it when you used to win games?
Tonight I had the game off for a few minutes, and you decided to score three runs to make it 5-4. When I started watching again, that all stopped. I think last Saturday night was the only win I've seen this season. I'm not going to stop watching, so you better figure out a way to win whether I'm watching or not.
I've been here for your team through the ups and the downs, the good times and the bad. And let's face it, there have been some pretty rough patches over the years. Yet I still stuck by you and defended you. And I will keep doing that. All I'm asking for is a little effort on your part. That goes for you too, Phillies Defense. Way too many errors so far. Can you believe the Pitching has been supporting both of you this much this season?
There have been flashes, but it's time for consistency. It's time to capitalize on the good pitching and support your pitchers. It's time to live up to your potential. It's time to be better than .500. It's time to win.
Love,
Christine
P.S. I know you'll beat the Mets the next two games because you don't want to start hearing that they're in your heads, do you?
P.P.S. David Ortiz read the memo and had two more hits tonight, including a grand slam. Now Greg's going to have to learn to write in Japanese to Daisuke Matsuzaka. 101 pitches - five hits and two walks - in 5 1/3 innings? How is that even possible? [Maybe we should have gotten Johan Santana, who won the duel against Cole Hamels tonight.]
Last year, I could always depend on you. This year, where have you been? Didn't you like it when you used to win games?
Tonight I had the game off for a few minutes, and you decided to score three runs to make it 5-4. When I started watching again, that all stopped. I think last Saturday night was the only win I've seen this season. I'm not going to stop watching, so you better figure out a way to win whether I'm watching or not.
I've been here for your team through the ups and the downs, the good times and the bad. And let's face it, there have been some pretty rough patches over the years. Yet I still stuck by you and defended you. And I will keep doing that. All I'm asking for is a little effort on your part. That goes for you too, Phillies Defense. Way too many errors so far. Can you believe the Pitching has been supporting both of you this much this season?
There have been flashes, but it's time for consistency. It's time to capitalize on the good pitching and support your pitchers. It's time to live up to your potential. It's time to be better than .500. It's time to win.
Love,
Christine
P.S. I know you'll beat the Mets the next two games because you don't want to start hearing that they're in your heads, do you?
P.P.S. David Ortiz read the memo and had two more hits tonight, including a grand slam. Now Greg's going to have to learn to write in Japanese to Daisuke Matsuzaka. 101 pitches - five hits and two walks - in 5 1/3 innings? How is that even possible? [Maybe we should have gotten Johan Santana, who won the duel against Cole Hamels tonight.]
Apr 17, 2008
Big arms
Maybe they just needed the warm weather to start playing better.
[There's been plenty of talk that the Phillies' slow starts are just a sign that they are a warm weather team, but no one seems to mention that the playoffs don't occur in warm weather.]
Nice win today. Of course it was yet another business-persons special, so I missed out on the action again.
Brett Myers pitched a good game, despite getting into, and out of, a few sticky situations. Pat Burrell continues to tear it up, and Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Chris Coste all joined him in the home run parade.
So with this victory they pull up to .500 again. They haven't made it over that mark yet, but it's just a matter of time.
And now on to the game of the week: Mets vs. Phils. Johan Santana vs. Cole Hamels. Friday night. It's going to be crazy. And it will end in favor of the Phillies. Hamels has been pitching excellent. Santana, only so-so. Hamels is used to playing in Philadelphia and knows the ballpark. Last time Santana was in town, he pitched at the Vet against a very different team. Last year he gave up a home run a start, and this year he has served up four homers in three games. With the temperature nearing 80 tomorrow, the balls will be flying off of the Phillies bats and out of the Bank. I can't wait.
Speaking of aces, with another short start by a Red Sox pitcher last night, the staff could use a long start by Josh Becket. He appeared to be cruising against the Yankees until the bottom of the fifth. Hopefully he can pitch an efficient seventh before handing it over to the overtaxed bullpen.
[There's been plenty of talk that the Phillies' slow starts are just a sign that they are a warm weather team, but no one seems to mention that the playoffs don't occur in warm weather.]
Nice win today. Of course it was yet another business-persons special, so I missed out on the action again.
Brett Myers pitched a good game, despite getting into, and out of, a few sticky situations. Pat Burrell continues to tear it up, and Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and Chris Coste all joined him in the home run parade.
So with this victory they pull up to .500 again. They haven't made it over that mark yet, but it's just a matter of time.
And now on to the game of the week: Mets vs. Phils. Johan Santana vs. Cole Hamels. Friday night. It's going to be crazy. And it will end in favor of the Phillies. Hamels has been pitching excellent. Santana, only so-so. Hamels is used to playing in Philadelphia and knows the ballpark. Last time Santana was in town, he pitched at the Vet against a very different team. Last year he gave up a home run a start, and this year he has served up four homers in three games. With the temperature nearing 80 tomorrow, the balls will be flying off of the Phillies bats and out of the Bank. I can't wait.
Speaking of aces, with another short start by a Red Sox pitcher last night, the staff could use a long start by Josh Becket. He appeared to be cruising against the Yankees until the bottom of the fifth. Hopefully he can pitch an efficient seventh before handing it over to the overtaxed bullpen.
Apr 16, 2008
Phillies lose quietly; Red Sox losing ugly
With the Phillies banished to CN8 again and the Red Sox on pace for a five-hour game against the Yankees, I have some tidbits but not much substance tonight.
Phillies:
1) I know the Phillies were facing Roy Oswalt, but when Kyle Kendrick, your worst pitcher thus far, scatters two runs over seven innings against the Astros, a loss is inexcusable.
2) Wouldn't you know that Michael Bourn homered and scored both runs?
Red Sox:
1) David Ortiz had a good swing on his RBI single in the fifth.
2) This team doesn't quit.
3) I think this is the first time I could watch young Clay Buchholz start. He should have known better than to get shelled against the Empire for my debut.
4) If the score holds, it will be 18-16 Yankees. If the pace holds, the game, which started at 7 p.m., will end just before midnight.
5) Yay, LaTroy Hawkins enters the game. Oops, spoke too soon. I didn't know he has been perfect in three innings against the Sox so far this year. Interesting: Through age 34, Hawkins is most similar to Jose Mesa.
Phillies:
1) I know the Phillies were facing Roy Oswalt, but when Kyle Kendrick, your worst pitcher thus far, scatters two runs over seven innings against the Astros, a loss is inexcusable.
2) Wouldn't you know that Michael Bourn homered and scored both runs?
Red Sox:
1) David Ortiz had a good swing on his RBI single in the fifth.
2) This team doesn't quit.
3) I think this is the first time I could watch young Clay Buchholz start. He should have known better than to get shelled against the Empire for my debut.
4) If the score holds, it will be 18-16 Yankees. If the pace holds, the game, which started at 7 p.m., will end just before midnight.
5) Yay, LaTroy Hawkins enters the game. Oops, spoke too soon. I didn't know he has been perfect in three innings against the Sox so far this year. Interesting: Through age 34, Hawkins is most similar to Jose Mesa.
Apr 15, 2008
Yes, we have complaints after three dramatic wins in two days
Preface: I have a gut feeling, beyond just a fan's hope, that this post will soon be outdated.
Last night was vintage modern-era Red Sox baseball: four and two-thirds gutsy innings by the bullpen to keep the team in it; a hit or walk by all nine starters; and a crushing blow by Manny Ramirez. They followed with another comeback win, 5-3, tonight.
But it was hard witnessing David Ortiz's struggles on Monday. He's off to the worst start of his career, and it's disconcerting. Last night he went 2-5, nearly matching his hit total in the first 13 games and pushing his average above .100 for the first time in a week. But those hits were weak. And in the 7th inning, in a situation made for Papi - two on trailing by two runs with one out - Papi struck out.
Yes, two innings later he set up Manny's game winner with a bloop that fell between the left fielder, center fielder and shortstop, but it wasn't the authoritative Big Papi blast.
It's just sad. He's one of the few athletes who deserves a free pass because of his past feats. I often think of an interview he gave after 2004, talking about all the pained faces in the stands after the Game 3 drubbing and how he was determined not to let the fans feel that way again. And he didn't. So now, I turn that sentiment around. I don't care what his struggles mean to the offense, it just hurts to see Papi struggle with his own failings, and for the first time since early 2003, not look superhuman.
He had another single tonight, so hopefully he's in the phone booth putting on his cape.
We'll see tomorrow night when the Red Sox make their first journey to Yankee Stadium this season. It's on ESPN. This week we're seeing more games of the Red Sox than the Phillies. I'll let Christine complain, I mean explain:
I found out late this afternoon that the Flyers game was preempting the Phillies on Comcast, and the Phillies were relegated to CN8 again. As I've explained before about Verizon FIOS, that means we don't get to watch the game. So what happens? A four-run dramatic 9th inning and a Phillies comeback win against the Astros.
The Flyers won their game, 6-3. I used to be a big hockey fan, and I'll always root for the Flyers. But the game was already scheduled to be on Versus, so why was it moved to Comcast?
From what I gathered from the radio broadcast, Adam Eaton pitched OK again. Three runs in six innings. Not the best line, but with the offense the Phillies should have, he could very easily be 3-0 right now instead of 0-0.
Now I'm off in search of highlights of Pat Burrell's clutch game-tying home run and Geoff Jenkins scoring the winning run. Tom McCarthy made it sound like the Phillies might have gotten a blown call in their favor tonight. About time.
And Wednesday night? Last scheduled CN8 game. We'll see what happens if the Flyers keep winning.
Last night was vintage modern-era Red Sox baseball: four and two-thirds gutsy innings by the bullpen to keep the team in it; a hit or walk by all nine starters; and a crushing blow by Manny Ramirez. They followed with another comeback win, 5-3, tonight.
But it was hard witnessing David Ortiz's struggles on Monday. He's off to the worst start of his career, and it's disconcerting. Last night he went 2-5, nearly matching his hit total in the first 13 games and pushing his average above .100 for the first time in a week. But those hits were weak. And in the 7th inning, in a situation made for Papi - two on trailing by two runs with one out - Papi struck out.
Yes, two innings later he set up Manny's game winner with a bloop that fell between the left fielder, center fielder and shortstop, but it wasn't the authoritative Big Papi blast.
It's just sad. He's one of the few athletes who deserves a free pass because of his past feats. I often think of an interview he gave after 2004, talking about all the pained faces in the stands after the Game 3 drubbing and how he was determined not to let the fans feel that way again. And he didn't. So now, I turn that sentiment around. I don't care what his struggles mean to the offense, it just hurts to see Papi struggle with his own failings, and for the first time since early 2003, not look superhuman.
He had another single tonight, so hopefully he's in the phone booth putting on his cape.
We'll see tomorrow night when the Red Sox make their first journey to Yankee Stadium this season. It's on ESPN. This week we're seeing more games of the Red Sox than the Phillies. I'll let Christine complain, I mean explain:
I found out late this afternoon that the Flyers game was preempting the Phillies on Comcast, and the Phillies were relegated to CN8 again. As I've explained before about Verizon FIOS, that means we don't get to watch the game. So what happens? A four-run dramatic 9th inning and a Phillies comeback win against the Astros.
The Flyers won their game, 6-3. I used to be a big hockey fan, and I'll always root for the Flyers. But the game was already scheduled to be on Versus, so why was it moved to Comcast?
From what I gathered from the radio broadcast, Adam Eaton pitched OK again. Three runs in six innings. Not the best line, but with the offense the Phillies should have, he could very easily be 3-0 right now instead of 0-0.
Now I'm off in search of highlights of Pat Burrell's clutch game-tying home run and Geoff Jenkins scoring the winning run. Tom McCarthy made it sound like the Phillies might have gotten a blown call in their favor tonight. About time.
And Wednesday night? Last scheduled CN8 game. We'll see what happens if the Flyers keep winning.
Apr 14, 2008
Sleep deprivation
In recent years I've grown accustomed to missing sleep in October (except for most of 2005 and all of 2006). This year, April has been a bugger, too.
First there were the crack-of-dawn risings to watch the Japan games. Now, it's the Yankees. Last night - despite the game and series wins - was awful. Daisuke Matsuzaka decided to play "how many guys can I walk while still getting a win?" and the game dragged even for Yankees-Red Sox standards.
Gordon Edes pointed out this nugget:
I finished watching the game in bed and was starting to nod off in the ninth. When they went to commercial for a ninth-inning pitching change, I fell asleep. I woke up at 12:08 a.m., mad because I didn't know for sure whether they held on to win. Instead of trying to stay up and catch the ticker, I reasoned with myself that if they blew the lead, the game would still be going on. Combined with the long, cold Phillies game, it was a wearing day.
Hopefully the Red Sox can quickly dispatch the Indians tonight so I can catch up on some sleep. (They're on ESPN tonight and Wednesday.) I'm going to have to be rested for a long Sunday, which requires a morning drive to North Jersey for my niece's communion and then back to Philly for a night game against the Mets.
First there were the crack-of-dawn risings to watch the Japan games. Now, it's the Yankees. Last night - despite the game and series wins - was awful. Daisuke Matsuzaka decided to play "how many guys can I walk while still getting a win?" and the game dragged even for Yankees-Red Sox standards.
Gordon Edes pointed out this nugget:
It took 2 hours and 10 minutes for the Royals to beat the Twins 5-1 this afternoon. We're 7 minutes shy of 2 hours (10:04) since tonight's first pitch, and we're in the bottom of the third.
I finished watching the game in bed and was starting to nod off in the ninth. When they went to commercial for a ninth-inning pitching change, I fell asleep. I woke up at 12:08 a.m., mad because I didn't know for sure whether they held on to win. Instead of trying to stay up and catch the ticker, I reasoned with myself that if they blew the lead, the game would still be going on. Combined with the long, cold Phillies game, it was a wearing day.
Hopefully the Red Sox can quickly dispatch the Indians tonight so I can catch up on some sleep. (They're on ESPN tonight and Wednesday.) I'm going to have to be rested for a long Sunday, which requires a morning drive to North Jersey for my niece's communion and then back to Philly for a night game against the Mets.
Apr 13, 2008
So why exactly did we buy season tix?
I'm cynical when players argue calls that go against them, but I've never seen a left fielder run to the infield to argue a home run call. But Pat Burrell did just that after umpire Adrian Johnson ruled Mark DeRosa's poke in the sixth inning fair, giving the Cubs a 4-2 lead. The replay on Baseball Tonight showed the ball was definitely foul.
The game seemed over. Even when the Phillies trailed by only one run today, it felt like seven for some reason. I can't decide whether they were flat or whether the cold day made them seem so. But the Phillies finally made a game of it, taking the lead with three in the bottom of the sixth. Unfortunately, Christine had to miss much of the rally to dry off after a drunk sitting behind us dropped his beer bottle on her. He was all excited that 10 people, two sections over, were starting a wave. People suck.
The Phillies gave the lead back in the eighth when Jimy Williams (Charlie Manuel was ejected in the sixth arguing the home run call) decided to stick with the book that says Tom Gordon starts the eighth inning, not the better pitcher, J.C. Romero. Flash struck out Kosuke Fukudome and then reverted to his awful self, giving up two singles.
Williams suddenly remembered he had Romero. J.C.'s quite adept at pitching out of self-inflicted jams but couldn't pitch out of Gordon's today. Pinch-hitter Geovany Soto (Christine's pick for NL Rookie of the Year) hit a dying quail just out of Chase Utley's reach. The game stayed tied until the 10th,when pinch hitter Carlos Zambrano (yup, Lou Piniella depleted his bench by the eighth inning) grounded into a surefire double-play, but Utley couldn't turn it and threw the ball into the Phillies dugout.
Overheard in the stands: One nimrod blaming Eric Bruntlett for that throw; another blaming Howard, who was getting ripped unmercifully by the fans every time he touched the ball. Don't let the facts get in the way of preconceived notions.
Observations from the stands: The maligned Bruntlett had a good day, going 3-5 with a homer. You probably won't see this on the highlights, but Burrell made a good catch in foul territory to end the ninth with a man on. Chris Snelling made his Phillies debut, popping out to third on a towering fly.
Lineup change: Today's lead-off batter was Geoff Jenkins. Usually when we walk by the wall where they post the day's lineup, I happen to look up. Today I didn't, even though everyone was wondering who Cholly would bat lead off without Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino. When was the last time "Rollins" didn't appear atop my scorecard?Losing streak: Counting playoff and exhibition games, the Phillies are in a three-game losing streak when we attend. We don't think we've seen three straight losses ever. They better break it next Sunday night against the Mets. And Daisuke Matsuzaka better dominate tonight against the Yankees.
Last night's notes: We left the house at 5 last night but saw five innings in what seemed to be the quickest Yankees-Red Sox game ever, until rain hit. Good job by Josh Beckett, Manny Ramirez and Jonathan Papelbon. And when our party ended, the Phillies game was still in the eighth, so we bought drinks and watched the end in a bar in Philly.
[Photo credit: Christine {Please excuse the blur. These are zoomed in from the 400 level.}]
Apr 12, 2008
Rainy memory
Something occurred to me as I mowed the lawn in the rain today. We're going to our first regular season game tomorrow; it's against the Cubs and it could rain. That combination will always conjure a memory for me.
Last May, Christine's co-worker had tickets he couldn't use so we went to a Saturday afternoon game we hadn't planned to attend. It was a pretty good game: Freddy Garcia actually lasted six-plus innings. Although he and Geoff Geary blew up and gave up six runs in the seventh, the Phillies came right back with six of their own to retake the lead in the bottom of the inning. Brett Myers pitched two innings in a non-save situation in what was a turning point toward him being a dominant reliever.
But for us, an off-field incident will always stick out. There was a rain delay that lasted more than an hour. We sat through it, and the place emptied out for the end of the game.
In the ninth inning, as the rain was pouring down again, Aramis Ramirez fouled one back all the way up to our section. In our row. Since there was no one else left in the row at this point, I ran down the row and dove, coming up banged and bruised but with a game ball. Unfortunately, a kid was a few seats and rows away. He wasn't a cute little kid - more like a teen and he was nowhere near the ball. But that didn't stop a drunk in the section from suggesting the ball belonged to the "kid." I wussed out and gave the ball away. {I tease Greg about this, but he definitely made the right decision. We didn't need a fight over a ball.}
I'm still kicking myself for that. It would have been the second ball I ever got at a park - the first in regulation. In the early '90s, I brought my glove to batting practice at Yankee Stadium. I was there real early, camped in the right field corner. Someone hit a lofting fly right to me. I camped under it, but someone jumped over me and snagged it. Determined, I moved up to the wall and soon a ball was roped there. I reached across a bunch of kids (none of them had gloves and had no chance at it) and wound up with the ball.
Later, I had Pat Kelly sign the memento while I interviewed him for my high school paper when he was signing autographs at a local mall. I wore my Red Sox windbreaker and used my Red Sox pen.
Tonight's games: Christine and I are heading to the city for a party tonight. I know we have to miss the end of the first nationally televised Yankees-Red Sox game and probably all of the Cubs-Phillies game, so we probably won't update until after Sunday's game.
Last May, Christine's co-worker had tickets he couldn't use so we went to a Saturday afternoon game we hadn't planned to attend. It was a pretty good game: Freddy Garcia actually lasted six-plus innings. Although he and Geoff Geary blew up and gave up six runs in the seventh, the Phillies came right back with six of their own to retake the lead in the bottom of the inning. Brett Myers pitched two innings in a non-save situation in what was a turning point toward him being a dominant reliever.
But for us, an off-field incident will always stick out. There was a rain delay that lasted more than an hour. We sat through it, and the place emptied out for the end of the game.
In the ninth inning, as the rain was pouring down again, Aramis Ramirez fouled one back all the way up to our section. In our row. Since there was no one else left in the row at this point, I ran down the row and dove, coming up banged and bruised but with a game ball. Unfortunately, a kid was a few seats and rows away. He wasn't a cute little kid - more like a teen and he was nowhere near the ball. But that didn't stop a drunk in the section from suggesting the ball belonged to the "kid." I wussed out and gave the ball away. {I tease Greg about this, but he definitely made the right decision. We didn't need a fight over a ball.}
I'm still kicking myself for that. It would have been the second ball I ever got at a park - the first in regulation. In the early '90s, I brought my glove to batting practice at Yankee Stadium. I was there real early, camped in the right field corner. Someone hit a lofting fly right to me. I camped under it, but someone jumped over me and snagged it. Determined, I moved up to the wall and soon a ball was roped there. I reached across a bunch of kids (none of them had gloves and had no chance at it) and wound up with the ball.
Later, I had Pat Kelly sign the memento while I interviewed him for my high school paper when he was signing autographs at a local mall. I wore my Red Sox windbreaker and used my Red Sox pen.
Tonight's games: Christine and I are heading to the city for a party tonight. I know we have to miss the end of the first nationally televised Yankees-Red Sox game and probably all of the Cubs-Phillies game, so we probably won't update until after Sunday's game.
Apr 11, 2008
A jinx more widespread than Madden's?
This week, reigning NL MVP Jimmy Rollins has missed time with an ankle injury. And World Series MVP Mike Lowell landed on the DL with a sprained thumb. I had mentioned that these two players who won an MVP award last year were injured, but I forgot that Josh Beckett, who started the season on the DL, had won the ALCS MVP.That means counting regular season, playoff and All-Star Game MVPs, half of last year's "MVPs" have been injured through the season's first two weeks. Don't be surprised if Matt Holliday (NLCS), Ichiro Suzuki (All-Star Game) and Alex Rodriguez (AL) miss time this year.
We're indifferent to Ichiro, but Christine won't mind if Holliday goes down {non-plate-touching cheater}, and I certainly won't mind if Slappy does.
Speaking of Slappy, the Yankees won round one tonight. Pathetic performance by the offense. I must acknowledge that Chien-Ming Wang just dominated tonight. (I've always thought he's good but overrated.) Through a crackly radio broadcast in the basement, I heard the announcer say that he threw 78 pitches through the 8th, and if it weren't for a J.D. Drew home run that could have easily been caught by Bobby Abreu, there would be a no-hit attempt. J.D. Drew = the Red Sox offense, tonight and through the first 11 games. Scary.
And a good first start against the Empire for Clay Buchholz; he's starting to live up to his billing.
On a happier note:
Phils win. Good performances by Pat Burrell - a two-run home run and an RBI double - and Brett Myers, who settled down after giving up two solo homers in the first.
I'm going to miss Burrell next year. Yeah, he seems like a crank and hates the media, but I don't doubt his desire to win or commitment to the team. Whenever you see a shot into the dugout, he's right there on the top step watching the game or talking with Charlie Manuel or one of the coaches. I know he gets hammered because it seems like he doesn't get upset enough when he's playing poorly, but he gets a bum deal because he hasn't lived up to all of his contract expectations.
Plus, I'll miss seeing his bulldog Elvis in a Phillies jersey.
[Photo credit: Boston Globe]
Apr 10, 2008
A season takes its stride
A couple of signs tonight that the season is starting to get into its groove. When the Phillies were struggling but unable to take a lead in regulation, Christine started her whiny grumble for the first time of the year. When this happens, I threaten to cut her off from the game. She doesn't appreciate it.
Then, the game goes extra innings and will likely bump into our viewing of The Daily Show.
The Red Sox game was cruising along until (it appears from the box score) that Manny Delcarmen and Julian Taverez (I call him Orange Julius) decided to try to let the Tigers back into it. Now we've burned Hideki Okajima for 1/3 of an inning and Jonathan Papelbon for more than an inning in a 12-6 win the day before the Empire invades.
Hopefully the Yankees will continue playing like old men this weekend, and Jed Lowrie has a memorable debut.
Then, the game goes extra innings and will likely bump into our viewing of The Daily Show.
The Red Sox game was cruising along until (it appears from the box score) that Manny Delcarmen and Julian Taverez (I call him Orange Julius) decided to try to let the Tigers back into it. Now we've burned Hideki Okajima for 1/3 of an inning and Jonathan Papelbon for more than an inning in a 12-6 win the day before the Empire invades.
Hopefully the Yankees will continue playing like old men this weekend, and Jed Lowrie has a memorable debut.
Apr 9, 2008
Blech.
The Phillies game sounded awful. We're glad we didn't have to watch. I guess they're no longer in the Mets' heads. At least Christine's jinx theory is over, and she doesn't have to worry about not watching any important games this year.
Not to be outdone, the Red Sox blew a lead and gave the Tigers their first win of the year. They almost came back in the ninth, but almost counts for nothing.
Oh, and Mike Lowell left the game with an injury, so both SoxandPhils who won an MVP last year are now day-to-day. Larry Andersen said the Mets fans were cheering Jimmy Rollins' replacement, Eric Bruntlett, who had a very un-MVP-like two errors in a terrible third inning.
Not to be outdone, the Red Sox blew a lead and gave the Tigers their first win of the year. They almost came back in the ninth, but almost counts for nothing.
Oh, and Mike Lowell left the game with an injury, so both SoxandPhils who won an MVP last year are now day-to-day. Larry Andersen said the Mets fans were cheering Jimmy Rollins' replacement, Eric Bruntlett, who had a very un-MVP-like two errors in a terrible third inning.
Apr 8, 2008
Just like last year
A day after the Red Sox and Phillies appeared to be more chump than champ, they each invoked happy memories of 2007.Bearing gaudy new rings, the Red Sox, behind 2008 ace Daisuke Matsuzaka, handled the Tigers with ease after what seemed to be a typical Red Sox championship celebration: Banners draped the Green Monster; a parade of champions displayed trophies won in New England from all four major professional sports; and Bill Buckner returned to Fenway for the first time since 1990.
(I always blamed John McNamara for Game 6, but in retrospect, with Roger Clemens' aversion to the truth, maybe the pitcher did ask out.)
Dan Shaughnessy captioned the carnival atmosphere, while the Globe posted a couple pictures.
In Shea, the Phillies kept streaking against the Mets. Although Chase Utley kept getting bopped like a whack-a-mole and Jimmy Rollins limped off the field, it was the Mets who were once again left punch drunk.
That's nine straight for the Phillies over the Mets, but don't tell David Wright - he must not remember the first eight:
It’s one straight loss in 2008. Done, over with. We can’t change anything. It’s a new year, a different team, and I think we’re a better team.
I never believed in curses or jinxes, but if I did: The Phillies are now 4-0 when Christine can't watch them, 0-4 when she can. Tomorrow's game is on CN8, which means Phillies win.
Apr 7, 2008
Get ready
It hasn't been the best opening week for the Red Sox or Phillies. Both Eastern Division champs stand 3-4; the world champs opened today in last place for the first time in three years.That all changes tomorrow. Both teams will be reminded of their 2007 greatness. The Red Sox, after their three-country opening week marathon, finally come home to play the Tigers and get their rings - a token reminder of how they felt last October.
The Phillies will go to their home-away-from-home, New York, to see their favorite whipping boys and rekindle last year's magic against the Mets.
It sounds like they're ready:
Pat Burrell:
I enjoy going to New York and playing. There's always a little extra excitement there. Especially with what happened last year, I'm sure they're gunning for us. And that's the way it should be.
Charlie Manuel:
When we play them, it's always kind of like a rivalry to us. Them, too. They make a big deal out of it. As long as we put the whip on them, we'll let them make a big deal out of it. They'll talk, we'll hit. That's how I see it.
Game on, season on.
This wouldn't be a problem if we lived in Boston: With several early-season games in the afternoon or on CN8, Christine notes the Phillies are 3-0 when she's unable to watch them and 0-4 when she can.
Baseball Mogul update: In my fourth season, I finally have built the Phillies into a 104-win powerhouse heading into the playoffs. My lineup has four guys with 30+ homers, two others with more than 25. Brad Lidge has 40 saves anchoring a shut-down bullpen. The big story is atop the rotation where Brett Myers and Cole Hamels went 29-8. I think my computer is broken - young Cole (who is now pining to be a Rockie) only has six of those wins and all eight losses.
Happy birthday: Bobby Doerr.
Apr 6, 2008
Aces disgraced
I found out an hour before game time that the Red Sox were going to be on TBS, so in our house it was going to be an exercise of hitting the back button on the remote after every pitch, toggling between Josh Beckett and Brett Myers.
Alas, Beckett couldn't right the sinking ship and Myers pitched like a joker, not the nominal ace he is. Not good news on either end. Beckett actually looked OK for a fat guy with a hip problem. Until the 5th inning. You could tell the Sox were going to be punished when Terry Francona abandoned his pitch count to try to get Beckett through the inning.
And, we were robbed. Dustin Pedroia was safe on a bang-bang play in the eight. Yes, it was a 7-4 final, but it would have mattered.
Oh, and shove it, "Mr. President."
For the Phils, at least Brad Lidge pitched well. Speaking of pitchers, where are the Reds coming up with these guys? They're going to make prognosticators who took a chance on them look very smart.
Other news of the day: First a treat for the Phillies fans - some comments from a member of the 2007 Mets, Paul Lo Duca:
Wes gone: Marlins get their man; Phillies management proves it is not the most inept in baseball. And, as Christine said yesterday, another favorite whipping boy, Adam Eaton, really did have one of his best starts as a Phillie on Saturday:
Eaton's take:
Injuries (non-SoxandPhils): This Dioner Navarro injury will make Christine cringe.
Age: I didn't mention this last week because I wanted more info and couldn't find the actual release, but the Red Sox opened with the majors' oldest roster, averaging 31.33 years. In related news, the Phillies AAA team averages 30.04 years.
More old guys: With the Mets and Diamondbacks losing Pedro Martinez and Doug Davis, David Wells wonders why he can't get work. Maybe he's been blackballed for steroids like Jose Canseco, Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens. David Wells? Well, Bill James says baldies are roiders.
Alas, Beckett couldn't right the sinking ship and Myers pitched like a joker, not the nominal ace he is. Not good news on either end. Beckett actually looked OK for a fat guy with a hip problem. Until the 5th inning. You could tell the Sox were going to be punished when Terry Francona abandoned his pitch count to try to get Beckett through the inning.
And, we were robbed. Dustin Pedroia was safe on a bang-bang play in the eight. Yes, it was a 7-4 final, but it would have mattered.
Oh, and shove it, "Mr. President."
For the Phils, at least Brad Lidge pitched well. Speaking of pitchers, where are the Reds coming up with these guys? They're going to make prognosticators who took a chance on them look very smart.
Other news of the day: First a treat for the Phillies fans - some comments from a member of the 2007 Mets, Paul Lo Duca:
I would equate it to having a serious problem in your life that you think is going to go away but never does. We were all cool, calm and collected. We didn't think anything of it. We always felt we'd get out of it. But it never happened. ... It was a tailspin we couldn't stop.
We kept looking at the scoreboard, wondering if the Phillies were going to lose, but they kept on winning. And then the pressure kept on mounting. It was tough.
Wes gone: Marlins get their man; Phillies management proves it is not the most inept in baseball. And, as Christine said yesterday, another favorite whipping boy, Adam Eaton, really did have one of his best starts as a Phillie on Saturday:
Eaton had his first quality start since July 3 in Houston, when he allowed three runs in six innings in a 5-4 loss to the Astros. That's 13 starts (and nine months) between quality starts.
Eaton's take:
We lost. But you want to give your team a chance to win, and I was able to do that. I'm kind of angry with myself the way I came out, but I got into a good groove and made some good pitches.
Injuries (non-SoxandPhils): This Dioner Navarro injury will make Christine cringe.
Age: I didn't mention this last week because I wanted more info and couldn't find the actual release, but the Red Sox opened with the majors' oldest roster, averaging 31.33 years. In related news, the Phillies AAA team averages 30.04 years.
More old guys: With the Mets and Diamondbacks losing Pedro Martinez and Doug Davis, David Wells wonders why he can't get work. Maybe he's been blackballed for steroids like Jose Canseco, Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens. David Wells? Well, Bill James says baldies are roiders.
Apr 5, 2008
Time for an ace
Last fall, when the Red Sox were down 3-1 in Cleveland, Josh Beckett took them back to Boston. Tomorrow it's time for the ace to right the ship after two bad losses to the Blue Jays have left us at .500. Hopefully, he can pretend it's the playoffs.
I'm not happy, however, to learn that it wasn't just Beckett's back that was hurting him - it was his hip, too. There's been no overt concern that Beckett's injuries will be a problem, but I'm a worrier.
With Beckett's return comes Kyle Snyder's farewell. Oh well. Get that waiver claim ready, Pat Gillick. Maybe he can replace Adam Eaton. I know, he actually pitched well today. I'm aghast.
{Eaton started out shaky but definitely pitched well. Without a doubt one of his best outings as a Phillie. After all of our recent bashing, I would be most pleased if he proved us wrong this year. It's only one start, but let's hope he can keep the momentum going next week.}
Highlight of the day when both our teams lost? Broadcaster Chris Wheeler said of the Reds pitching coach: "I like that Dick Pole."
{How have we not mentioned Wheels yet on here? We share the same thoughts as everyone else on him. Greg says: He's the Alex Rodriguez of broadcasters but without the talent. I'm not quite sure what that means, but we don't like him.}
Chat: Todd Zolecki had a fan chat with Ryan Howard. Not very interesting, except for the first question:
Truthful and probably prophetic. And should give ammo to those who believe the constant contract struggles will stay in the big guy's head.
Congrats: To WrestleCrap, probably the first blog-type Web site I ever read, on its 8th anniversary. Check it out, if you're interested in a recap of a 7-foot, 450-pounder in a thong.
I'm not happy, however, to learn that it wasn't just Beckett's back that was hurting him - it was his hip, too. There's been no overt concern that Beckett's injuries will be a problem, but I'm a worrier.
With Beckett's return comes Kyle Snyder's farewell. Oh well. Get that waiver claim ready, Pat Gillick. Maybe he can replace Adam Eaton. I know, he actually pitched well today. I'm aghast.
{Eaton started out shaky but definitely pitched well. Without a doubt one of his best outings as a Phillie. After all of our recent bashing, I would be most pleased if he proved us wrong this year. It's only one start, but let's hope he can keep the momentum going next week.}
Highlight of the day when both our teams lost? Broadcaster Chris Wheeler said of the Reds pitching coach: "I like that Dick Pole."
{How have we not mentioned Wheels yet on here? We share the same thoughts as everyone else on him. Greg says: He's the Alex Rodriguez of broadcasters but without the talent. I'm not quite sure what that means, but we don't like him.}
Chat: Todd Zolecki had a fan chat with Ryan Howard. Not very interesting, except for the first question:
Question: Given the choice, would you prefer to remain a Phillie for your entire career? - Mike C., Gary, Ind.Answer: That's not up to me.
Truthful and probably prophetic. And should give ammo to those who believe the constant contract struggles will stay in the big guy's head.
Congrats: To WrestleCrap, probably the first blog-type Web site I ever read, on its 8th anniversary. Check it out, if you're interested in a recap of a 7-foot, 450-pounder in a thong.
Apr 4, 2008
Broadcast blues
At the end of 2006, Greg decided that we needed an HD TV. We were still on old-school cable and dial-up(!) Internet, but we held out until Verizon FIOS was available. Greg wanted to see whether Comcast or Verizon had the better offer; I didn't care as long as Comcast SportsNet was offered so we would still get Phillies games.
We didn't get a good idea last season of what the local broadcast in HD would be like. Services were installed Friday, Sept. 28, so we saw that thrilling victory, but then Saturday's debacle was on Fox - as if an Adam Eaton start isn't bad enough, it had to be combined with Joe Buck and Tim McCarver. Sunday's game was live and in person.
This year, there is something we hadn't considered: CN8 isn't available on Verizon. There are only four CN8 games, all to be played by April 16, but one is tonight, only one day after a business-persons special. They're killing me. Next week: two day games and two CN8 games. That means I'll get to see only one Mets game. The Wednesday night CN8 game is also supposed to be on ESPN2. My fingers are crossed that we'll get the broadcast, but it will probably be blacked out.
And as for the HD, I'll keep it. It really is amazing how much better the game looks.
Strange times: Every year when the Phillies are in Cincinnati, something odd seems to happen. Todd Zolecki has the highlights here.
Conspiracy theory: This tidbit has Greg speculating whether Charlie Manuel is trying to make sure that Eaton pulls a hamstring:
If Cholly is thinking like that, then he is more brilliant than anyone has ever given him credit for.
[Nah, he probably just still can't manage.]
Red Sox fans: Don't worry, I'll let Greg do some writing again this weekend.
We didn't get a good idea last season of what the local broadcast in HD would be like. Services were installed Friday, Sept. 28, so we saw that thrilling victory, but then Saturday's debacle was on Fox - as if an Adam Eaton start isn't bad enough, it had to be combined with Joe Buck and Tim McCarver. Sunday's game was live and in person.
This year, there is something we hadn't considered: CN8 isn't available on Verizon. There are only four CN8 games, all to be played by April 16, but one is tonight, only one day after a business-persons special. They're killing me. Next week: two day games and two CN8 games. That means I'll get to see only one Mets game. The Wednesday night CN8 game is also supposed to be on ESPN2. My fingers are crossed that we'll get the broadcast, but it will probably be blacked out.
And as for the HD, I'll keep it. It really is amazing how much better the game looks.
Strange times: Every year when the Phillies are in Cincinnati, something odd seems to happen. Todd Zolecki has the highlights here.
Conspiracy theory: This tidbit has Greg speculating whether Charlie Manuel is trying to make sure that Eaton pulls a hamstring:
There's no telling what would have happened if Adam Eaton had rounded third with the chance to score a valuable insurance run and faced a home-plate collision with a catcher. But the righthander, who is scheduled to start against Cincinnati Saturday, didn't have much time to think about it when Charlie Manuel told him to get ready to pinch-run for leftfielder Pat Burrell in the seventh inning. At the time, the Phillies were leading, 7-6, and had men on second and third with no outs. Not wanting to burn a possible pinch-hitter to run for Burrell, Manuel sent Eaton scrambling into the home clubhouse. The veteran starter threw on his cleats, laced them up, and made it back in time to take second.
"I was hoping we'd hit a home run," Eaton said.
If Cholly is thinking like that, then he is more brilliant than anyone has ever given him credit for.
[Nah, he probably just still can't manage.]
Red Sox fans: Don't worry, I'll let Greg do some writing again this weekend.
Apr 3, 2008
They should have pitched to Howard, or at least to Werth
I used to love business-person specials because they gave me the chance to watch most of a game before going to work at night. But now that I'm a daytime cube dweller, I hate 'em. I want to enjoy the games on TV or in person, not through periodic updates on Yahoo.
But today's game ... that would have been brutal. It was wrenching enough checking the box score on the computer. I think I may have drove Greg crazy if we were watching it.
So many things to process: Jamie Moyer's awful first inning. Fourteen men left on base. Four errors. Pinch-running Adam Eaton. Only one player left (Tim Lahey) at the end of the game.
Neither Greg nor I can remember back-to-back intentional walks to load the bases, let alone back-to-back intentional walks twice in one game to the same batters. Greg said he doesn't recall it happening with David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez, and they would be an obvious choice for this scenario. So that's either some crazy respect for Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, or the Nationals must think very poorly of Jayson Werth.
Luckily, Werth didn't even swing at a pitch in the 10th, and four balls later, Phils won, 8-7.
However, I have to question the events leading up to this situation - using Eaton as a pinch runner for Pat Burrell in the 7th. At this point, the Phillies were ahead 7-6. Howard was on third and Burrell was on second with no outs. So why run with Eaton? If there is any kind of base hit, Howard is going to score to make it 8-6. Even if there is a play at the plate and Burrell is thrown out, they're still up by two runs. I know the Phillies need to score as much as possible, but I think they needed Burrell's bat more in the 8th inning. Like many of Charlie Manuel's decisions, it just doesn't quite make sense, but it worked out in the end.
Thankfully, the Phillies avoided a third consecutive 0-3 start. 1-2 sounds so much better. On to Cincinnati and hopefully a .500 record by tomorrow night. Today's game, without a doubt, is the turning point of the season. I proclaim this probably about 50 times during a season.
Alternate uniforms: I've always liked that the Phillies had only two jerseys, home and away. None of this batting practice jersey stuff in games. I reluctantly accepted the interleague hats that were worn for only a handful of games a year. I'm still undecided on the new day uniforms. They look sharp, but I was afraid that if the Phils lost today, they might be cursed like the blue hats of 1994.
Intro music: Pat Burrell is to blame for our obsession with this one. Holy Diver? Really?? So disappointed when he switched songs last year. Anyone know if he's still using Don Henley?
Anyway, when I left work today, WXPN was playing a list of songs that are used by ballplayers for their introduction. I heard only one song - Sal Fasano comes out to Jimi Hendrix - but the station had a link to this list of songs. Some of these are accurate, at least for the Phillies, but I kind of doubt that Manny comes out to the Final Countdown by Europe.
[You have to doubt any list that still lists Keith Foulke, Brendan Donnelly and Eric Gagne as Sox.]
Why I'm not cut out to be a blogger: I can only wish that I would have come up with these recent gems.
From Chamomiles Davis on Deadspin: The girl who loved Tom Gordon just called and said she hates him now.
From D-Mac on Philadelphia WillDo: Bottom seventh, still. Adam Eaton just gave up 2 runs while standing on second.
Finally: Bigger ballpark danger, hawks or hot dogs?
But today's game ... that would have been brutal. It was wrenching enough checking the box score on the computer. I think I may have drove Greg crazy if we were watching it.
So many things to process: Jamie Moyer's awful first inning. Fourteen men left on base. Four errors. Pinch-running Adam Eaton. Only one player left (Tim Lahey) at the end of the game.
Neither Greg nor I can remember back-to-back intentional walks to load the bases, let alone back-to-back intentional walks twice in one game to the same batters. Greg said he doesn't recall it happening with David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez, and they would be an obvious choice for this scenario. So that's either some crazy respect for Chase Utley and Ryan Howard, or the Nationals must think very poorly of Jayson Werth.
Luckily, Werth didn't even swing at a pitch in the 10th, and four balls later, Phils won, 8-7.
However, I have to question the events leading up to this situation - using Eaton as a pinch runner for Pat Burrell in the 7th. At this point, the Phillies were ahead 7-6. Howard was on third and Burrell was on second with no outs. So why run with Eaton? If there is any kind of base hit, Howard is going to score to make it 8-6. Even if there is a play at the plate and Burrell is thrown out, they're still up by two runs. I know the Phillies need to score as much as possible, but I think they needed Burrell's bat more in the 8th inning. Like many of Charlie Manuel's decisions, it just doesn't quite make sense, but it worked out in the end.
Thankfully, the Phillies avoided a third consecutive 0-3 start. 1-2 sounds so much better. On to Cincinnati and hopefully a .500 record by tomorrow night. Today's game, without a doubt, is the turning point of the season. I proclaim this probably about 50 times during a season.
Alternate uniforms: I've always liked that the Phillies had only two jerseys, home and away. None of this batting practice jersey stuff in games. I reluctantly accepted the interleague hats that were worn for only a handful of games a year. I'm still undecided on the new day uniforms. They look sharp, but I was afraid that if the Phils lost today, they might be cursed like the blue hats of 1994.
Intro music: Pat Burrell is to blame for our obsession with this one. Holy Diver? Really?? So disappointed when he switched songs last year. Anyone know if he's still using Don Henley?
Anyway, when I left work today, WXPN was playing a list of songs that are used by ballplayers for their introduction. I heard only one song - Sal Fasano comes out to Jimi Hendrix - but the station had a link to this list of songs. Some of these are accurate, at least for the Phillies, but I kind of doubt that Manny comes out to the Final Countdown by Europe.
[You have to doubt any list that still lists Keith Foulke, Brendan Donnelly and Eric Gagne as Sox.]
Why I'm not cut out to be a blogger: I can only wish that I would have come up with these recent gems.
From Chamomiles Davis on Deadspin: The girl who loved Tom Gordon just called and said she hates him now.
From D-Mac on Philadelphia WillDo: Bottom seventh, still. Adam Eaton just gave up 2 runs while standing on second.
Finally: Bigger ballpark danger, hawks or hot dogs?
Apr 2, 2008
Things can quickly change
That's my message to Phillies fans, as the reigning NL East champs fell again to the Washington Nationals and are dangerously close to another one of their trademark slow starts.
Consider the things that have changed since my last post:
--The Red Sox were a middling .500 team, trailing both the undefeated Devil Rays and the Empire. They're now back in first with a two-game winning streak. Daisuke Matsuzaka and Jon Lester have turned in strong performances after they struggled in Japan.
--Yesterday, the Mets were buoyed by a strong debut from Johan Santana and looked like the Mets from the first half of 2007, but in game two Pedro Martinez went down like the Mets in the second half of 2007. (But tonight they pounded the Marlins.)
Point is, tomorrow morning I'm sure it'll be panic mode on WIP (unless Barack Obama calls in again) - but relax Philly, the Expos will come back to earth at some point.
{Despite the 1-0 final, Cole Hamels didn't dominate tonight, but he and the bullpen pitched well enough that the Phillies should have won this game. Every ball they hit hard, not that there were many, landed right at a fielder. Bad luck, I guess, but I still don't like it. Maybe I shouldn't have made any predictions, as two of my other picks, the Cubs and the Tigers, are also sporting 0-2 records.}
Random Sox notes: Congrats to Kevin Youkilis, the new record holder for consecutive errorless games for a first baseman. Lester's win was the first for a Sox lefty starter in Oakland since Zane Smith in 1995. Turns out we haven't had many good lefty starters since then - think David Wells, Steve Avery and a pre-ageless wonder Jamie Moyer.
Finally: Maybe Jonathan Papelbon is just upset Dice-K won't say what he named his son after almost a month:
Consider the things that have changed since my last post:
--The Red Sox were a middling .500 team, trailing both the undefeated Devil Rays and the Empire. They're now back in first with a two-game winning streak. Daisuke Matsuzaka and Jon Lester have turned in strong performances after they struggled in Japan.
--Yesterday, the Mets were buoyed by a strong debut from Johan Santana and looked like the Mets from the first half of 2007, but in game two Pedro Martinez went down like the Mets in the second half of 2007. (But tonight they pounded the Marlins.)
Point is, tomorrow morning I'm sure it'll be panic mode on WIP (unless Barack Obama calls in again) - but relax Philly, the Expos will come back to earth at some point.
{Despite the 1-0 final, Cole Hamels didn't dominate tonight, but he and the bullpen pitched well enough that the Phillies should have won this game. Every ball they hit hard, not that there were many, landed right at a fielder. Bad luck, I guess, but I still don't like it. Maybe I shouldn't have made any predictions, as two of my other picks, the Cubs and the Tigers, are also sporting 0-2 records.}
Random Sox notes: Congrats to Kevin Youkilis, the new record holder for consecutive errorless games for a first baseman. Lester's win was the first for a Sox lefty starter in Oakland since Zane Smith in 1995. Turns out we haven't had many good lefty starters since then - think David Wells, Steve Avery and a pre-ageless wonder Jamie Moyer.
Finally: Maybe Jonathan Papelbon is just upset Dice-K won't say what he named his son after almost a month:
(Matsuzaka) also had sufficient motivation to ask a clubhouse attendant to retrieve the game ball, which someone (the evidence points to Papelbon) had tossed into the stands.
Matsuzaka wanted the ball as a souvenir for his newborn son, whose name he has not yet made public.
"I had asked my teammates to hang onto the game ball, but I guess the message didn't get through," he said.
Apr 1, 2008
Rudy! Rudy! Rudy!
Christine hoped it was an April Fools' joke. But it wasn't. Alas, coming off a stinging opening day loss thanks to an awful Tom Gordon, the Phillies went out and got the best arm they could - 39-year-old Rudy Seanez.
Actually, he had a pretty good season last year for the Dodgers, but he has been injured and didn't pitched well, or much, in spring training. I can't imagine he will be much help to the Phillies, but I guess he's better than another go-around with Jose Mesa.
And, Seanez has a place in SoxandPhils lore. He made nine pretty poor appearances for the 2003 Boston Red Sox - one of them came in one of the better games we've seen played between the Red Sox and Phillies, a 6-5 nail biter that went 12 innings and ended with a Todd Pratt walk-off home run at the Vet. Mesa got the win. Pedro Martinez and Randy Wolf dueled. Seanez entered the game in the 12th, with one on and the Sox up by one. The game ended on his second pitch to pinch-hitting Pratt.
Seanez fared a bit better in his only other SoxandPhils appearance in 2006, but that too was a loss. The Phils won 10-5 behind another typical Cory Lidle start. Seanez pitched 1 2/3 scoreless to end the game.
We were at both games.
More predictions: I should have given a predictions form to David Ortiz to fill out. In an interview with the Globe, Papi gives clues to what some of his picks would have been:
World Series: Detroit Tigers
AL Cy Young: A.J. Burnett
AL MVP: Alex Rodriguez
Payroll: Speaking of 2003, it's the first time since then the Sox don't have the second-highest payroll. They're now fourth. Phillies are 13th. The Empire still outpaces the next closest team (Tigers) by $70 million.
Actually, he had a pretty good season last year for the Dodgers, but he has been injured and didn't pitched well, or much, in spring training. I can't imagine he will be much help to the Phillies, but I guess he's better than another go-around with Jose Mesa.
And, Seanez has a place in SoxandPhils lore. He made nine pretty poor appearances for the 2003 Boston Red Sox - one of them came in one of the better games we've seen played between the Red Sox and Phillies, a 6-5 nail biter that went 12 innings and ended with a Todd Pratt walk-off home run at the Vet. Mesa got the win. Pedro Martinez and Randy Wolf dueled. Seanez entered the game in the 12th, with one on and the Sox up by one. The game ended on his second pitch to pinch-hitting Pratt.
Seanez fared a bit better in his only other SoxandPhils appearance in 2006, but that too was a loss. The Phils won 10-5 behind another typical Cory Lidle start. Seanez pitched 1 2/3 scoreless to end the game.
We were at both games.
More predictions: I should have given a predictions form to David Ortiz to fill out. In an interview with the Globe, Papi gives clues to what some of his picks would have been:
World Series: Detroit Tigers
AL Cy Young: A.J. Burnett
AL MVP: Alex Rodriguez
Payroll: Speaking of 2003, it's the first time since then the Sox don't have the second-highest payroll. They're now fourth. Phillies are 13th. The Empire still outpaces the next closest team (Tigers) by $70 million.
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